“Mum said the same thing. Maybe I’ll go see him next week.”
“Good move, Dec. Now’s when he’s going to need you there.”
“Mum said that the doctors think he may have some brain damage. I mean, Kylie, it’s so sad. I’m finding it difficult to fully comprehend that it’s actually happened to him. He wouldn’t hurt a fly! He won’t even eat meat because he doesn’t like the idea of killing animals.”
“Dec, snap out of it. You’re thinking too much about the consequences and not enough about the now. Rishi needs you there as a friend. Just put yourself in his shoes, because that’s where you’ll find the answer. Yes, he didn’t deserve to be bashed like that, and if they catch the bastards that did it I’ll do a pro bono on his defense just to make sure they get a long stretch in jail for their crime. But that’s in the future. He needs your help—in fact all our help—right now, and I don’t even know the kid.”
“Kylie, when you’re driving down the waves like that, feel the pressure on the helm then bear away slightly to catch the wave. Here, I’ll pump the main at the same time to help. If you do it right, you’ll get a free ride down the wave and you’ll add a couple of knots to the boat speed. Just watch your speed and you’ll see what I mean.” Dec had momentarily changed topics to coach Kylie in the finer art of catching waves on a downhill slide.
But the topic of Rishi resumed. Kylie sensed that Dec needed a push in the right direction because his twenty-one-year-old millennial brain wasn’t big on thinking about other people’s welfare.
“Look, you don’t have to smother him. Just put yourself in his shoes and act accordingly. If you do that, I know you’ll do the right thing.”
“But what about his brain damage? He’s not going to be a retard, is he?”
“Oh Dec, stop being so maudlin! Of course not. What’re you expecting? To walk in and see a blubbering idiot who’s dribbling uncontrollably and talking gibberish? Get with the picture, kiddo. If he’s got any brain damage, he’s most likely to be affected with a problem with his motor functions. So he goes into rehab. Big deal. He’s not going to end up like that girl in the TV ad who after the car accident couldn’t talk properly.”
“Well, it’s scary, Kylie.”
“Just go and see him. Okay?”
“Yeah, thanks Kylie, I’ll do that. He needs us, doesn’t he?”
“Sure does. You’ve made the right decision Dec, so follow it through. Now, let’s get more speed out of this lady.”
Looking ahead, Sean noticed they had about four nautical miles to go to get back to the club, then he glanced up at the repeater log on the base of the mast. Nine knots. He did an automatic calculation: twenty-five minutes before we arrive.
“We’ve got a major problem if the cards don’t fall our way over the next month.” Sean continued talking to G where he had left off. “There’s a possibility we could run out of money, which’d stop us dead in our tracks. According to Paul, the early vibe coming back from the bank is that they mightn’t advance us the money next month that we need to keep the project going. So you might say it’s playing on my mind.”
“Eh? From what the three of you were saying at the BBQ at our place the other day, the project was going ahead gangbusters,” said G.
“Well, it is and it isn’t. We’ve secured plenty of presales for Stage One and according to Tony he’s got firm promises for the same amount again, which is all good. That’d see us with committed presales for two-thirds of the first release, which is over budget.”
“Well that certainly sounds promising. So what’s the issue with the bank?”
“Well, in current economic climate and with the tightening of credit the bank’s as nervous as a pregnant nun at confession. They’re trying to renege on their prior funding agreement. They want us to tip in more money ourselves. Which we can’t.” Sean stopped talking momentarily to wipe the salt off his sunglasses on the front of his polo shirt.
“Pricks! Faceless men hiding behind ‘rules and regulations.’ Even Paul’s having trouble getting through to them.”
Sean was rambling, verbalizing his thoughts and venting his frustrations.
“Sean, sometimes life’s like seeing yourself at the movies, with all the unexpected twists and turns of a drama plot.” G stopped and breathed in deeply, smelling the sweetness of the refreshing salt air. “Except in your case your screenwriter’s a bloody sadist with a macabre sense of humor.”
To Sean, G’s analogy summed up the shit-sandwich side of life perfectly and he let loose a raucous laugh that was so boisterous it made Kylie divert her attention from the helm.
“What bullshit story are you spinning Sean now, G?” asked Kylie.
“Never you mind, skipper. Secret men’s business it is now, so you just go back to steering the boat and get us home in one piece. We’ve had enough excitement for the day,” scolded Sean.
“Oh, like that is it. Well I better not interrupt then, because two male brains together can be dangerous. You may just come up with an original thought,” replied Kylie with a hint of well-meaning sarcasm.
“Enough of you, lass. Switch those female ears of yours off,” said Sean in an exaggerated Irish brogue.
“To be sure, to be sure. Your wish is my command, oh Lord, Master, and Boat Owner.” On that note, Kylie went back to her sailing lesson from Dec.
“G, I like that. Your head must be full of these sayings. Where in the name of the Holy Mother herself do you get them from? You just seem to always be able to pull them out of your arse at the drop of a hat. You’re unbelievable, I’ll give you that.”
“But it’s true though, isn’t it? You almost couldn’t script the plot,” said G. “Then again, if you’re associated with Steve and Paul, I wouldn’t have expected any other outcome. Those two seem to revel in sailing close to the wind . . . ah, pardon the pun. But the big question is now, what are you guys doing to get out of the shit, just in case as you say, the bank pulls the pin in what, a month, wasn’t it?”
“Well, Paul’s hunting around his contacts for an alternative investor, and Steve’s off to China next week to apparently sign off on a deal that will see us in clover so we won’t even need the bloodsuckers at the bank.”
“Sean, Steve’s a well-meaning guy and fantastic friend and I love him to death, but strictly between you and me, and I mean for your ears only, a word of caution. And I’m only saying this because I’ve seen it happen before. Steve never loses on a business deal. Somehow he always manages to come out on top, which isn’t necessarily always the case for his partners. He certainly won’t rip you off or screw you around as he’s very moral, but Steve’ll certainly put himself at the head of the queue when the handouts are being made.”
“An interesting way of putting it, G.” Sean went silent for a moment, allowing what G had just said to sink in.
“As usual G, another pearl of wisdom. Yeah, the girls don’t trust him. I’ll take that one on board as well. Thanks. And mum’s the word.”
“And Rishi? I know we spoke the other night about him, and you just mentioned him again before. So what are you guys really proposing? And don’t spin the blarney on me with this one.” G’s tone changed from inquiry to concern.
“Exactly what I said on Monday night. Helping him out will be a win-win situation for all of us.”
“Which means?”
“Which means that if we do the right thing and help him out with a few bucks toward his rehab it won’t only give us all the warm fuzzies. I’m sure it’ll no doubt be appreciated by Rishi’s parents.”
“And?” probed G.
“And being able to use our involvement in a soft-sell PR campaign has to be good for the Carlton project. As I just said, it’s a win-win situation.”
“Maybe Sean, but just remember you’re dealing with a real person here. Rishi’s more than a statistic. He lives and breathes and he’s a friend of all our kids. You better make sure you handle any involvement you may end up having in Rishi’s rehab with
respect, tact, and diplomacy.”
G wasn’t a happy chappy.
“I know what Steve’s like mate, and Paul’s a bit of a numbers man and can be led astray by the figures sometimes. But you. You’re the one who can keep this above board and totally in Rishi’s favor. Other than that, if it goes pear-shaped and doesn’t come back to bite you, trust me, I certainly will. And on that note I’m deadly serious.”
G’s piercing blue eyes stared back at his sailing partner with a menacing icy blast that would freeze boiling water.
“And I know Kylie. She’s always one to fight for the underdog. She’d jump in at the drop of a hat and then you’d all be fucked, because she’ll have all your collective balls on toast. You know by now, she’s not one to have on the opposition team.”
G rarely got worked up and was usually known for his level-headed advice and sagacious comments, but in this case it had hit a raw nerve with him and he bit back hard, totally taking Sean by surprise.
“Shit G, calm down. We’re just having a friendly chat here. Chill, okay.”
“Well I‘m sorry mate, but I won’t sit idly by and watch Rishi’s misfortune be exploited for your gain. He has to come out the winner and you guys, if you’re lucky, may be able to bathe in a bit of reflected glory at the end of the journey.”
Sean became momentarily pensive. He had an altruistic side to him that he hid successfully for most of the time, however in this instance it crept up on him and rose to the surface.
“Another point taken, G. And I can totally see where you’re coming from.” Sean did an about-face, the realization suddenly occurring to him that yes, they were being very selfish.
“You’re right again. It’s all about Rishi, isn’t it? Not us.” Sean dragged his eyes away from G and looked up at the club: ten minutes to go.
“But still, I’m sure that a few well-placed words in the right ears will allow some of the shine to rub off on us and start the grapevine working in our favor.”
“Glad you see why I feel so passionately about this. I know you, Sean O’Rourke. I know that you’ll do the right thing.”
“I will G, I will. You can count on that, to be sure.”
Half a mile out from the yacht club a peacefulness returned to the angry seas and a tender evening sky appeared. The sun was now deep in the western sky on its journey to another day, reflecting a golden-red hue, bouncing back through the puffy elongated clouds that had spread themselves low across the horizon.
By the time they had moored Fig Jam and the gear was stowed away it was going on six o’clock and almost too late to go up to the bar for an after-race drink. Besides, everyone seemed to have a different agenda: Dec was meeting Justin and a few of his university mates at The Vineyard in St Kilda for an early drink before they hit the town, so he had rushed off at the first opportunity; Sean made his apologies and left as soon as they were done as he was going out for an early dinner with”the outlaw,” as he had so graciously nicknamed Bec’s mother, Esther; Gordy felt it prudent to leave with everyone else and picked up a lift home from Sean; and the other crew members followed suit and went their own way, leaving Kylie and G to finish the last of the packing up down below.
“Thanks for that, guys. Just leave your mess for us to tidy up,” said G in a well-meaning but sarcastic manner as the last of the crew jumped off and made their way down the pier.
“Well, guess it’s just you and me again, huh? Typical,” said G to Kylie as they made their way down the companionway to the cabin below.
“Drinkies?” asked Kylie.
“Does a bear crap in the forest?”
“Yeah, stupid question, really. I should have asked if you want a rum or a beer.”
“Beer, thanks.”
Kylie grabbed two cans from the ice chest and as they went about restoring order down below, G asked, “How’d you do in the broach? I caught sight of you flying through the air just before Sean grabbed you. Any damage?”
At that stage Kylie was getting out of her wet weather gear and was down to her knickers and T-shirt. G cast a glance in her direction, noticing a large purple bruise on her outer left thigh and a raw graze on her ankle that looked ugly.
“Pisser of a bruise on your leg. Battle scars, eh. Looks painful.”
Kylie looked down. “Oh, nice one. But had worse. My ankle’s more painful than my thigh. I’ll survive.”
And that she would. It was a rare day that Kylie left Fig Jam after a yacht race without some bruise, cut, or abrasion somewhere on her body. It was just an accepted part of sailing on the boat.
“Et tu, Brutus? How’d you fare?” replied Kylie.
“Hit my back on the winch. It’s a bit sore actually,” said G, as he instinctively rubbed his lower back as if he was feigning sympathy.
“Give me a look,” said Kylie, grabbing him almost affectionately by the shoulders to turn him around, lifting up his polo shirt at the same time.
An eight-inch red welt that looked like it had been branded onto his back, running in a straight line from just below G’s right kidney and then up toward his armpit, looked painful and sore. Forgetting her own injuries, Kylie immediately grabbed some soothing antiseptic cream from the first aid kit that was conveniently on the shelf next to where she was standing and rubbed it into the wound.
“G, that doesn’t look all that good. You’re damn lucky you didn’t crack a rib or two. Any pain breathing?”
“No, I’m fine, really. I’ll live to sail another day.” G turned around and Kylie was immediately in front of him, her right hand still around his waist after rubbing in the cream. Almost in a natural, fluid motion that mirrored her movement, G’s left arm came to rest on Kylie’s shoulder, their eyes locking.
For an instant in time, the world stood still as they stared into each other’s eyes, absorbing the thoughts within.
A crescendo of desire had been building over the past twelve months but they had never let it progress further than titillation, subtlety, and innuendo. After all, they were just having fun and enjoying each other’s company.
Until now, when the serpent finally offered the apple and they both willingly took a bite.
As if possessed by an uncontrollable force, they attacked with ardent desire, lips firmly locked together, tongues battling and intertwined. Like snakes wrapped in a macabre love hold, arms and legs flying in all directions, interlocking, they pulled each other into a violent embrace.
Thrusting both hands under G’s polo, Kylie grabbed a handful of skin, digging her nails into his back before attempting to urgently lift the shirt over his head. G responded by wrapping his right hand around the small of Kylie’s back, dragging her into him and onto his thrusting thigh that he was pushing up between her opening legs. Kylie wrapped her left leg around G, pulling her own torso into him while rubbing her trigger spot across the top of his thigh, sliding into his embrace. Slipping his free hand up under Kylie’s bra, roughly pushing it to one side, G started kneading her breasts, feeling her nipples harden in anticipation.
It certainly wasn’t a pretty and teasingly sensual union. Instead it was urgent, it was rugged, it was desperate. All else ceased to exist. Their respective partners were locked away somewhere in their memory banks behind a door that had just slammed shut. The clock had stopped and they only had one thing on their minds: raw, unadulterated sex, and the quicker they managed to couple, the better.
Their love frenzy continued. The last of their clothes were torn off or stepped out of in a rush of pent-up lust and aggression. Still wrapped in a frantic, fluid embrace, locked in a never-ending and passionate kiss, they clumsily moved backward as a single entity, feeling their way more by what they bumped into than by the familiarity of the vacant space behind them. Tumbling onto the large bunk-cum-seating area in the main part of the cabin, G landed on top of Kylie. Settling into the soft cushioning, they instinctively rolled to one side, separating slightly, moving apart to allow space to explore each other’s bodies.
G was fi
rm and pulsating as Kylie stroked his manhood with a come-to-me-baby urgency; Kylie was pumped and wet with desire as G explored her moist folds.
With a rapidly building crescendo, they desperately pressed against each other. Kylie slipped back under G’s body, spreading her thighs wide to allow him access to her desire, guiding him into her with her free hand. G responded by moving forward and directly over the top of her, pushing himself upward with both arms outstretched and placed on either side of Kylie’s shoulders to give him more leverage, thrusting his loins forward with such a forceful action that Kylie gasped.
Squeezing her eyes shut, in a moment of total lust Kylie pushed her hips downward in time with G’s upward motion, climaxing almost immediately. As Kylie continued succumbing to her desire, G was thrusting harder and harder until he began to peak soon after.
Kylie sensed that G was approaching his pinnacle. Wrapping her legs around his back, crossing her ankles and squeezing her pelvic muscles tight, she locked herself firmly onto G’s manhood as if it was a lifeline to eternal bliss, heightening his impending climax even further.
Closing his eyes tightly, G let out an almost primordial hiss that originated from somewhere deep within as he came. Squeezing her in a wild embrace, he completed the union by thrusting himself deeply into her, again, and again, and again.
As they lay entwined in each other’s arms after their coupling, the electricity of the moment slowly fading, a knowing silence overtook both of them. They realized their moment of frenzied intimacy had the potential to either take things to another level between them, or destroy everything they loved about their current relationship they had built up over the last few years sailing together.
It was now written in stone that whatever happened in the future, things would never be the same between them again. The goalposts had just moved, and they would have to rewrite the rule book because they would now be playing the game in a different ballpark.
The Cait Lennox Box Set Page 21
